I suggest to you that if you want to multi-brew Darjeeling, use a small gaiwan, 100ml or less. Fill it at least 50% and do flash brewing and extending the times using your own judgement. You will soon see what kind of tea you have but the best brews will come from whole leaf teas, not the broken variety that populates most tea shops.

chado.my.teaway wrote:FF and SF must have a temperature less than 100 degree. FF about 85-90 and SF 90. If i brew Darjeeling FF like Arya Ruby or Castletoon Moonlight, i use 2-2,5 gram for gaiwan 150ml. 1st brewing 1,15-1,20 85 degree, 2nd brewing 3.00 and 90 degree and 3rd brewing 5 minute and 100 degree. But if I brew tea like North Tukvar FF or tea from Giddapahar garden or Singbulli garden, I use the same time but temperature are going up. 1st=90, 2nd=90, 3rd=100. Sorry for my language but im from Poland;)

I never got satisfied with black tea multi-brewing. Changes and evolutions of the scent is interesting, but it comes with a lighter taste than the classic "english" method. But since i bought some Darjeeling FF this week, let's try again. I choosed a Castleton DJ8 Special China. I want black tea to be tasty, so i used about 2.5g in a small gaiwan, with 90ml. Then, 1st brewing 1.5min, 85°C. Great fragrance, taste is still lighter than what i am expected, but i enjoyed. 2nd brewing, 2.30min, 90°C, this one was very good! 3rd infusion, 4min, 95-100°C. mmmm, good, but..... After this experience, i still prefer "my" classic method (for this tea, 3g, 140ml, 95-100°C, 5-6min) but i will try again, with another tea, a Sungma DJ1 China Classic. Maybe, an intermediate method should be good for me ? 2 brewing: 85°C, 2min or 2.30 min, then 95-100°C, 5 min...

Am i the only one not totally satisfied by multi-brewing of black tea ?

I don't really care for Indian/Sri Lanka black teas brewed gong fu style. One good (strong) steep is what I go for. Chinese/Taiwanese red teas are a different story. I've had pretty good success multi-brewing them. Here are 3 from DTH that I have tried, and can recommend:

Tead Off wrote:I suggest to you that if you want to multi-brew Darjeeling, use a small gaiwan, 100ml or less. Fill it at least 50% and do flash brewing and extending the times using your own judgement. You will soon see what kind of tea you have but the best brews will come from whole leaf teas, not the broken variety that populates most tea shops.

Tead Off wrote:I suggest to you that if you want to multi-brew Darjeeling, use a small gaiwan, 100ml or less. Fill it at least 50% and do flash brewing and extending the times using your own judgement. You will soon see what kind of tea you have but the best brews will come from whole leaf teas, not the broken variety that populates most tea shops.

Thank you for your suggestion. I will try.

Like others, I prefer Darjeeling tea brewed western style. But, you can brew it gongfu and have a different experience.

Tead Off wrote:I suggest to you that if you want to multi-brew Darjeeling, use a small gaiwan, 100ml or less. Fill it at least 50% and do flash brewing and extending the times using your own judgement. You will soon see what kind of tea you have but the best brews will come from whole leaf teas, not the broken variety that populates most tea shops.

Thank you for your suggestion. I will try.

Like others, I prefer Darjeeling tea brewed western style. But, you can brew it gongfu and have a different experience.

I tried with a Sungma DJ1 China classic, and it was an expensive but great experience. A lot a brews, taste, and each time great fragrance. Perfect to understand a tea. I will not make it an habit, but keep trying sometime with new teas.Thank you for giving me the courage to try such a luxury !